Multi-chip modules (MCM) interconnect many smaller integrated circuits (IC) in a horizontal form factor. In wireless devices, MCMs provide radio frequency (RF) functionality and comprise a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a crystal for clocking purposes, and a front-end module (FEM). The SoC integrates multiple functions in a single IC and tend to be the largest of these components. The crystal tends to be large as well. In a traditional MCM-based design, the SoC, crystal, crystal trace routing, and crystal load capacitors occupy the majority of the area of the MCM and create a large MCM footprint, which makes designing constantly smaller wireless devices with greater functionality difficult. Also, long crystal routing paths add parasitic capacitance, which can adversely affect the ability for the crystal to start oscillating at power up.